Battle in Seattle

Actor-turned-filmmaker Stuart Townsend makes his screenwriting and directorial debut with this ensemble film set during the 1999 World Trade Organization meeting in Seattle and presenting the riots that swept through the streets during the five-day conference from the perspectives of police, ...more

In 1999, more than 40,000 people gathered in Seattle for one of the largest protests since the Vietnam War. Yet in today’s world of the seemingly endless Iraq War, collapsing economy, and the end of the American century, this monumental moment of collective action is largely forgotten. Until now, that is. Writer/director (and actor) Stuart Townsend’s film, Battle in Seattle, shows a snapshot of recent history, casting light on ordinary Americans and their efforts to create change in the world. ...more

Actor-turned-filmmaker Stuart Townsend makes his screenwriting and directorial debut with this ensemble film set during the 1999 World Trade Organization meeting in Seattle and presenting the riots that swept through the streets during the five-day conference from the perspectives of police, protestors, and city officials. A typically laid-back Northwestern city, Seattle would erupt into violence when, for five days in 1999, tens of thousands of protestors flooded the streets to voice their ...more